Weight Loss Surgery: The Pros And Cons

Weightloss surgery is a good option for many people to consider.

However, weight loss surgery on its own is not an effective way to maintain a healthy weight over the long term .

Individuals that are considering weight loss surgery need to commit to changing their unhealthy eating habits, learning portion control and increasing the activity and exercise levels in their lives to maintain their weight loss.

Gastric Bypass

This procedure, more formally known as the Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass, is a surgical method for weight loss. The surgery involves surgically creating a way for digestive material to bypass the duodenum and the top portion of the jejunum.

In addition a smaller stomach pouch is created using staples, decreasing the amount of food that can be consumed. This combination of lower absorption and smaller amounts of food consumes results in weight loss of more than 50% of pre-surgery excess body weight in about half of all patients.

Gastric bypass does have risks including poor absorption of required nutrients, vitamins and minerals leading to bone and metabolic disorders.

However, regular use of recommended supplements can prevent this from being a major concern. Greater concerns can include bleeding or ulceration after surgery, infections, blood clots and bowel obstructions are also noted but they are relatively rare based on the number of these procedures each year.

Lap Band or Adjustable Gastric Band

The Adjustable Gastric Band (AGB) and the LAP-BAND or Laparoscopic Band are rapidly becoming the most popular options for a less invasive type of weight loss surgery.

Basically in both procedures a band is placed around the middle of the stomach, creating two different sections in the stomach, a smaller one on top and a larger one on the bottom.

There is no permanent manipulation or altering of the stomach or digestive system and the patient will continue to have the same type of absorption of digested material as before. They will simply be eating much smaller portions.

Weight loss can be monitored and controlled by the physician tightening or loosening the band by injecting or removing the saline solution that creates the cinching effect.

There is a small surgical incision made to allow the band to be positioned around the stomach. There are also smaller punctures that are made to allow the instruments to guide the band into place to be inserted into the abdomen.

This is considered a very low risk and safe procedure for most patients and, if required, the band can be easily removed without major surgery at a later time.

The risks typically are very minimal but may include leakage of the saline solution from the band and minor risk of infection at the sight of the entry.

Occasionally patients that don't follow the liquid diet required for a month or so after the surgery may experience vomiting that can cause the band to slip up and create an obstruction into the larger part of the stomach. This does require a surgical correction.

Stomach Stapling or Gastroplasty

Once one of the most popular options stomach stapling is now not as common as lap band procedures or the gastric bypass.

It simply makes the stomach smaller, decreasing the amount of food consumed. Stomach stapling is effective with patients that will stay on a diet, but if patients revert back to their old unhealthy eating habits the stomach pouch can stretch and weight loss will be limited.

Risks to stomach stapling include infections and tearing of the stapled portion of the stomach as well as leakage of material from the doctor created stomach pouch into the rest of the stomach.

Perforations and obstructions can also occur if the patient does not follow the recommended diet and food plans provided post procedure.

Our advice : before using weightloss surgery, talk to your doctor our your nutritionist first.





From weight loss surgery to our home page